Ransomware continues to be one of the biggest menaces on the internet. Clicking on the wrong link could be enough to set off a sequence of events that ends with all your data being encrypted by crooks, who will only unlock it in return for a hefty ransom — usually in bitcoin or another hard-to-trace cryptocurrency.
Criminal ransomware gangs are well financed and employ increasingly sophisticated tactics. The big gangs look into corporate networks and then explore until they are ready to cause maximum chaos by encrypting as many devices as possible in one go. This level of threat means there’s no way to absolutely protect yourself or your business from ransomware,. But there are 5 steps you can take to minimize the chances of an attack:
1. UNDERSTAND WHAT’S CONNECTED TO YOUR NETWORK
PCs and servers might be where your data resides, but they aren’t the only devices you have to worry about. There are a wide variety of devices connecting to the company network, many of which will lack the kind of built-in security as compared to a corporate device. The more devices, the greater the risk that one will offer hackers a backdoor into your network, and then use that access to move through your systems to more lucrative targets than a badly secured printer or a smart vending machine. Also, think about who has access to your systems; and whether your suppliers are aware of the potential risk of ransomware?
2. MAKE IT HARDER TO ROAM ACROSS YOUR NETWORKS
Ransomware gangs are e likely to gain access to a network and then explore widely in order to spread their malware as far as possible before pulling the trigger and encrypting everything. Make this harder by segmenting networks, and also by limiting and securing the number of administrator accounts, which have wide-ranging access. Phishing attacks have been known to target developers simply because they have broad access across multiple systems
3. TRAIN STAFF TO RECOGNISE SUSPICIOUS EMAILS
One of the classic routes for ransomware to enter your organisation is via email. That’s because spamming out malware to thousands of email addresses is a cheap and easy way for ransomware gangs to try and spread malware. Thus, training staff to recognize suspicious emails can help protect against ransomware and other email-borne risks like phishing. The bottom-line is: don’t open emails from senders you don’t recognize. And don’t click on the links in an email if you aren’t absolutely sure it is legitimate. Consider using two-factor authentication as an additional layer of security.
4. CHANGE DEFAULT PASSWORDS ACROSS ALL ACCESS POINTS
Clicking on a bad link in an email is probably the best known way of getting infected with malware, but it’s far from the only way. Nearly a third of ransomware was distributed via brute force and remote desktop protocol (RDP) attacks, according to research by F-Secure. Brute force attacks are attempts by hackers to access servers and other devices by trying as many passwords as possible, usually with the aid of bots, in the hopes of hitting the jackpot.
As many companies fail to change default passwords or use easily-guessed combinations, brute force attacks are regularly effective. RDP allows remote control of PCs, and is another common ransomware attack avenue. There are steps you take to reduce the risk of an attack via RDP, ranging from ensuring strong passwords are used, to changing the RDP port, to limiting its availability to only the devices that really need it.
5. APPLY SOFTWARE PATCHES TO KEEP SYSTEMS UP TO DATE
Patching software flaws is a painful, time-consuming and tedious job. It’s also vital to your security. Malware gangs will seize on any software vulnerabilities and attempt to use them as a way into networks before businesses have had time to test and deploy patches. The classic example of what happens if you don’t patch fast enough is WannaCry. This ransomware caused chaos in the summer of 2017, including significantly disrupting the NHS in the UK. A patch for the underlying Windows Server Message Block protocol exploit that allowed WannaCry to spread so far had actually been released several months before the ransomware hit. But not enough organisations had applied the fix to their infrastructure, and over 300,000 PCs were infected. It’s a lesson many organisations are still to learn: one in three IT professionals admitted that their organisation had been breached as a result of an unpatched vulnerability, according to a survey by security company Tripwire.
Using PSG Grant for our SAP Solutions: https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/browse-all-solutions-erp-and-standalone-solutions/accting-mgmt–inventory-mgmt-and-sales-mgmt-system
Recent Comments